#CongressTradingBan
The bill to ban congressional stock trading – “Congress Trading Ban”:
---
1. Objective of the bill:
Prohibit U.S. Congress members and their immediate family (spouse, dependent children) from buying and selling individual stocks to avoid conflicts of interest and restore public trust.
---
2. Key points in the law:
Mandatory sale or transfer of investment assets into a blind trust within 120 days from the law's enactment.
Complete prohibition on purchasing additional individual stocks.
Must sell all currently held stocks within 90 days.
---
3. Recent developments:
Senators Jon Ossoff and Mark Kelly proposed this bill since September 2023.
The House of Representatives also proposed a separate bill named “Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership Act” in March 2023.
Most recently (January 2025), a group of lawmakers continued to propose “No Corruption in Government Act” aiming to:
Ban stock trading
Stop automatic pay raises for Congress members
Extend the lobbying ban duration after leaving office
---
4. Prominent issues:
Public opinion is very supportive, but as of April 2025, no official law has been passed.
Many criticize the current STOCK Act (2012) as insufficiently effective due to light penalties and almost no serious enforcement.
---
5. Recent controversies:
Congress member Marjorie Taylor Greene was found to have purchased a large amount of stocks just before Trump announced policies favorable to that industry – raising suspicions of insider trading and strongly driving the wave of calls for a ban.